Abstract
Energy efficiency has become an increasingly important sector for industries to focus on due to both the major economic incentives present and the environmental benefits of reducing carbon footprint. In air compressor systems, many control schemes exist for managing compressor output levels such that a target pressure or the pressure band that is maintained through the varying loading conditions present in any industrial setting. Despite the recent adoptions of variable frequency drives (VFDs) and slider valve by many industrial settings, “Load/Unload” systems still see common use due to the relatively high efficiency for the cost associated with them. There is a common graph, often called the “Banana Curve”, used as reference for potential energy savings within Load/Unload systems where increasing system storage grants greater energy efficiency, though with some diminishing returns. The goal of this paper is to verify the available graphs since original testing data is not available. Additionally, it is within the scope of the paper to help describe why the energy savings occur when storage is increased. Outcomes of this study could help engineers to quantify the savings in energy and cost of compressed air systems in a more accurate way.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 311-317 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the Thermal and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference |
| Volume | 2022-May |
| State | Published - 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 7th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, TFEC 2022 - Las Vegas, United States Duration: May 15 2022 → May 18 2022 |
Funding
Authors would like to thank the financial support provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Industrial Assessment Center program, to conduct this study.
Keywords
- Compressed Air Systems
- Experimental Testing
- Load Unload Control